by Gordon Hamilton

Created on: August 07, 2008   Last Updated: November 19, 2008

The sweet potato is one of the most nutritious vegetables readily available to us today. It is a fantastic source of vitamins and of fibre, yet so often, recipes for sweet potato mash call for a whole host of most unhealthy ingredients to be added, totally ruining the otherwise inherent benefits. The potatoes are sweet enough, so we need no sugary substances to bring this about and are tasty enough in their own right without a list of ingredients half the length of our arm being thrown in to the mix. What we should be doing here is simply looking to enhance the natural flavour of the vegetable and enjoy it at its very best.

For this recipe for two people, you will require:

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into one inch chunks
1 large clove of peeled and crushed - or very finely chopped - garlic
Large pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon of roughly chopped cilantro/coriander leaf
1 level tablespoon of low fat soured cream

Put the sweet potatoes into a large pan and cover with boiling water. Bring back to the boil and simmer gently for around fifteen to twenty minutes, testing with a fork at that stage to ensure they have softened all the way through. Drain them well, return them to the pan and mash. Add the remainder of the ingredients and stir very thoroughly with a wooden spoon.

Spoon the mash in to the centre of two plates and flatten into a circle. Serve a poached chicken breast or piece of roast lamb on top and surround with fresh garden peas. A simple, easy on the eye and healthy meal for all the family.

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